This invention is directed to a new apple tree variety discovered as a single limb mutation of the Griffith apple variety. The Griffith variety is described and claimed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,835, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference. The patented parent Griffith variety is being marketed under the Blushing Golden trademark by Stark Bro's Nurseries & Orchards Company of Louisiana, Mo. The source of the present new variety was a mutant limb borne on a Griffith apple tree which was located in an orchard owned by the originator in Union County, Ill. Specifically, the tree was located at Pt. S.E. S.W. Section 17, Range 1 W. 39.55 Acres, Road Dist. 1A, Union County, Ill.
The patented parent Griffith variety was described in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,835 as including the following distinguishing features:
(1) A general resemblance of the fruit in shape, size and flavor to the fruit of "Golden Delicious", but which develops an earlier yellow ground color and acquires a distinctive and attractive pink to red blush;
(2) A later fruit maturity of about 10 days latter than the fruit of "Golden Delicious";
(3) A longer keeping quality of the fruit;
(4) A waxy appearance of the fruit skin which does not develop russet, and absence of any tendency of the fruit to shrivel in normal storage as does the fruit of "Golden Delicious";
(5) Good resistance to spray injury; and
(6) A richer and more acid flavor of the fruit than the fruit of "Golden Delicious."
The present new variety has been observed to exhibit various features distinct from those of the parent variety. The mutant limb of the parent tree was observed to have branches which bore fewer lateral shoots than other limb on the tree. It was further noted that the mutant limbs were producing fruit buds on short fruiting spurs with greater frequency than other limbs. Two-year-old branches produced 12 to 15 fruiting spurs per linear foot in contrast to 9 to 11 fruiting spurs per linear foot of the parent tree. The fruit appeared as if roped or braided along the long branch axes. In addition, the percentage of axiarlly buds which broke dormancy on the spur-type limb was distinctly higher than the percentage of buds which broke dormancy on typical limbs of the Griffith variety. The fruit bud and bud break counts are approximately 30% greater than in the parent variety.
After observing the spur-type characteristics of the a typical limb for several growing seasons, the originator propagated two second generation trees of the limb sport by grafting shoots from the mutant limb to Red Delicious seedling roots which were then planted in the originator's home orchard located at 203 Bainbridge Street, Cobden, Ill. 69620. The spur-type limb growth has been found to be a characteristic of all limb growth of these second generation trees. The trees display a strong tendency to produce abundant spurs along the axis of primary, secondary, and tertiary branches. While the propensity to form scaffold branching is about equal in the parent tree and the sport tree of this application, the sport branch angles appear to be appreciably wider than those of the parent, and assume angles of about 45 degrees. No supplemental support is required to support the fruit load in normal years. The new variety of apple has thus been observed to be a spur limb variant of the Griffith variety and has been named "Griffspur.